Work permit delays. This is something that if you're going through an immigration case
specifically, an adjustment of status case, is an option that's available to
some individuals who are actually in the United States and are able to complete their entire green
card process here in the US. We focus here in our firm on couples immigration. So specifically,
the work permit is something that comes with a green card adjustment of status application
for individuals who are married to United States citizens. Part of that green card application
for those who are eligible to file for adjustment of status in the US, there is a work permit for
those individuals. For those of you who have different case types, fiancé visas and things
like that, in the early stages of your case, you wouldn't have a work permit until the adjustment
phase of your case. I just wanted to give a little context for those of you who are wondering
who gets a work permit and when does a work permit show up. Work permit delays is something
that for those of you who are going through an adjustment of status process here in the US,
they're taking a very long time for individuals to receive their work permits.
Legally, immigration is supposed to issue the work permit for individuals who filed their
adjustment of status application with their work permit application. They're supposed to issue those
work permits in 90 days. That is not happening. Unfortunately, this isn't the first
time that there's a requirement that immigration is supposed to meet and they're falling short.
This has to do with the long delays that immigration is generally having in COVID.
They have been asked about what is causing these delays but there has been no
official announcement from USCIS about why these delays are occurring
or what they're doing to resolve the delay. We know that that's really frustrating especially
if you're going through this process, you feel that you're in a state of limbo
while you're waiting for your work permit and especially those who come on fiancé visas
and then file your green card application and you're waiting for that work permit.
That's a difficult transition; that you're kind of in limbo. You have status but you can't work and
you can't get a driver's license and do things like that. Those used to be
issued within 90 days. Legally, they are supposed to be issued in 90 days. A lot of individuals are
asking what can I do about not receiving my work permit. Unfortunately, waiting and
pestering immigration are really the two things that we're doing right now for all of our
clients. We make outside of normal processing requests and keep poking on immigration.
"Our client should have received their work permit by now. " And we just have to keep pestering.
Legally, there is a way that you could technically sue the government through a mandamus action
and the reality of that is that that would be costly and time-consuming. It really would just
be proving a point. Unfortunately, immigration just keeps showing over and over that they just
send their template responses that they're working on it and they'll get to it. I know
that that's not complete clarity for you and maybe not what you're wanting to hear but I definitely
want to be honest that that's what we're seeing. We're hoping that immigration will take up
our concerns. Our firm, American Immigration Lawyers Association, we're constantly pestering
immigration. "You need to get this figured out. They're supposed to be issued in 90 days."
As we know more, we will definitely update you but I just want you to have clarity on the fact that yes,
these long delays and receiving a work permit are unfortunately normal right now.
Hopefully, soon they will get their act together and start issuing those on time.
But just wanting to make sure that everybody knows. Yes, that's happening right now
and we know that's frustrating. Alright, I see we have individuals who are slowly trickling in to
join us. Welcome to all of you who are watching. Thank you so much for being here and again if you
have questions, feel free to pop them in onto the comments. I will get to those at the end.